Using personal wireless devices for network testing

ABSTRACT

A personal wireless device is utilized to carry out measurements of one or more network-performance related metrics in response to a triggering event. The triggering event can be a message that is transmitted by a network element to the personal wireless device. The personal wireless device may be exemplified by a variety of personal devices such as, for example, a cellular phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The measurements may be used to derive network-performance related information such as cellular signal coverage areas, signal hole areas, and signal interference areas.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/094,700 filed Apr. 26, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S.provisional application No. 61/329,215 filed Apr. 29, 2010, the contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The instant application relates to systems and methods for testingnetworks using personal wireless devices.

BACKGROUND

Network performance testing, such as testing of wireless signal coveragein a cellular network, is typically carried out by dispatching one ormore vehicles containing trained technicians that use specialized (andexpensive) test equipment for carrying out certain kinds ofmeasurements. As can be understood, this testing procedure tends to betime-consuming, expensive, cumbersome, and may sometimes lead tooutdated results as a result of inadequate test procedures.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using a personal wirelessdevice for carrying out measurements of one or more network-performancerelated metrics in response to a triggering event. In one embodiment,the triggering event is a message that is transmitted by a networkelement to the personal wireless device. The personal wireless devicemay be exemplified by a variety of personal devices such as, forexample, a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Themeasurements may be used to derive network-performance relatedinformation such as cellular signal coverage areas, signal hole areas,and signal interference issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description,given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a communications system in whichvarious personal wireless devices may be operated as testing devices ina cellular network.

FIG. 2 shows a second system embodiment wherein various personalwireless devices are communicatively coupled to a radio access network,which in turn is communicatively coupled to a core network and othernetworks.

FIG. 3 shows a few components contained in an example personal wirelessdevice.

FIG. 4 shows a third system embodiment wherein various personal wirelessdevices are communicatively coupled to a radio access network, which inturn is communicatively coupled to a core network and other networks.

FIG. 5 shows a fourth system embodiment wherein various personalwireless devices are communicatively coupled to a radio access network,which in turn is communicatively coupled to a core network and othernetworks.

FIG. 6 shows a fifth system embodiment wherein various personal wirelessdevices are communicatively coupled to a radio access network, which inturn is communicatively coupled to a core network and other networks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be noted that certain words, phrases, and terms used hereinhave been selected on the basis of convenience for description andshould not be interpreted in a limiting manner. As one such example, thephrase “personal wireless device” has been used below in several placesin lieu of the more generic phrase “user equipment (UE)” which is knownin the art. Consequently, it should be understood that the phrase“personal wireless device” as used herein is merely one example of a UE,and the embodiments described below may be equally applicable to variousother types of devices that are generally understood to constitute UEs.Conversely, certain phrases and abbreviations known in the art havesometimes been used in place of phrases that may be more specificallyapplied to the various embodiments described herein. Also, although thedescription below provides certain examples of possible implementations,it should be noted that these are merely examples and in no way limitthe scope of the application. A detailed description of illustrativeembodiments will now be described.

It is generally desired by both manufacturers and by consumers toincorporate as many features and functions as possible into variouspopular devices. This trend is especially significant in personaldevices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs),computing tablets, e-readers, smartphones, pagers, laptops, netbooks,personal computers and other network-enabled devices wherein numeroussoftware applications and functions are provided in order to make thesedevices attractive to an end-user. However, such ubiquitous personaldevices (which are generally portable in nature, often of a handheldtype, and generally not tied to any one particular location), may befurther exploited for executing certain functions that are beneficialnot just to the end-user but to other entities (such as networkoperators, for example) as well. In the embodiments described herein,personal devices, specifically personal wireless devices, are configuredfor carrying out certain test functions that provide network-performancerelated information to network operators and other personnel.

As used herein, the phrase “minimization of drive test (MDT)” isgenerally used to refer to testing that is carried out using personalwireless devices such as, for example, those described above. As isknown in the art, these personal wireless devices generally fall underthe category known as user equipment (UE). The phrase “MDT” is also usedherein in the context of communication protocols, system configurations,procedures etc, that are used for executing certain types ofnetwork-performance related testing. Such testing carried out using UEsmay often minimize, if not completely eliminate, the need for trainedtechnicians to drive around in a vehicle and operate specialized testequipment in order to measure network performance metrics.

The network-performance related testing described herein may be appliedto a wide variety of networks such as, for example, Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks(including Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) andEvolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN))

FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary communications system 10 that may be usedto implement the various embodiments described below. Communicationssystem 10 includes a number of base stations, four of which are shownfor purposes of description. Base station 114 a provide wirelesscoverage over a cellular coverage area 15, while base stations 104 b,104 c, and 104 d provide wireless coverage over cellular coverage areas20, 25 and 30 respectively. Also shown in FIG. 1 are several UEs in theform of personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b and 102 c. Personalwireless device 102 a communicates with base station 114 a using awireless link that includes an uplink and a downlink. Wirelessinformation transmitted from personal wireless device 102 a towards basestation 114 a is carried over the uplink, while information traveling inthe opposite direction from base station 114 a to personal wirelessdevice 102 a is carried over the downlink.

Similarly, personal wireless device 102 b and personal wireless device102 c communicate with their respective base station 114 b usingindividual uplinks and downlinks. When a personal wireless devicetravels from one cellular coverage area to an adjacent cellular coveragearea, a handover operation takes place whereby the personal wirelessdevice is automatically configured to establish a new wireless link withthe base station that is operating in the adjacent cellular coveragearea. The various personal wireless devices may operate using differentwireless formats. For example, personal wireless device 102 b may beassigned a single tone channel, while personal wireless device 102 c maybe assigned multiple tone channels. One or more of personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b and 102 c may be used for network testing in themanner described below in further detail.

Attention is now drawn to FIG. 2, which shows a second system embodimentwherein various personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d,are communicatively coupled to a radio access network (RAN) 104, whichin turn is communicatively coupled to a core network 106 and othernetworks. The communications system 100 may be a multiple access systemthat provides content, such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcast,etc., to multiple wireless users. The communications system 100 mayenable multiple wireless users to access such content through thesharing of system resources, including wireless bandwidth. For example,the communications systems 100 may employ one or more channel accessmethods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time divisionmultiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA),orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the communications system 100 includes personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d, a RAN 104, a core network106, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110,and other networks 112, though it will be appreciated that the disclosedembodiments contemplate any number of personal wireless devices, basestations, networks, and/or network elements (NEs). Each of the personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d may be any type of userequipment that is configured to operate and/or communicate in a wirelessenvironment.

The communications system 100 includes several network elements. Asshown, two of these network elements, which are components of the RAN104, are a first base station 114 a and a second base station 114 b.Each of the base stations 114 a, 114 b may include any type of devicethat is configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d to facilitateaccess to one or more communication networks, such as the core network106, the Internet 110, and/or the networks 112. By way of example, thebase stations 114 a, 114 b may be a base transceiver station (BTS), aNode-B, an eNode B, a Home Node B, a Home eNode B, a site controller, anaccess point (AP), a wireless router, and the like. While the basestations 114 a, 114 b are each depicted as a single element, it will beappreciated that the base stations 114 a, 114 b may include any numberof interconnected network elements, including network elements that arelocated in one or more different RAN.

RAN 104 may include additional base stations and/or elements that mayalso be referred to herein as NEs such as, for example, a radiotransceiver, a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller(RNC), relay nodes, etc. The base station 114 a and/or the base station114 b may be configured to transmit and/or receive wireless signalswithin a particular geographic region, which may be referred to as acell (described above using FIG. 1). Each cell may be divided into whatare known as cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with thebase station 114 a may be divided into three cell sectors. Thus, in oneembodiment, the base station 114 a may include three transceivers, i.e.,one for each cell sector of the cell. In another embodiment, the basestation 114 a may employ multiple-input multiple output (MIMO)technology and, therefore, may utilize multiple transceivers for eachsector of the cell.

One or more network elements that are a part of base stations 114 a, 114b may communicate with one or more of the personal wireless devices 102a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d over an wireless interface 116, which may be anysuitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF),microwave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). Thewireless interface 116 may be established using any suitable radioaccess technology (RAT).

More specifically, as noted above, the communications system 100 may bea multiple access system and may employ one or more channel accessschemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and the like. Forexample, the base station 114 a in the RAN 104 and the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c may implement a radio technology such asUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial RadioAccess (UTRA), which may establish the wireless interface 116 usingwideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMA may include communication protocols such asHigh-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and/or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA mayinclude High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and/or High-SpeedUplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

In another embodiment, the base station 114 a and the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c may implement a radio technology such asEvolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish thewireless interface 116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and/orLTE-Advanced (LTE-A).

In other embodiments, the base station 114 a and the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c may implement radio technologies such asIEEE 802.16 (i.e., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000(IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856),Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates forGSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), and the like.

The base station 114 b in FIG. 2 may include various network elementssuch as, for example, a wireless router, Home Node B, Home eNode B, oraccess point, for example, and may utilize any suitable RAT forfacilitating wireless connectivity in a localized area, such as a placeof business, a home, a vehicle, a campus, and the like. In oneembodiment, the base station 114 b and the personal wireless devices 102c, 102 d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 toestablish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In another embodiment,the base station 114 b and the personal wireless devices 102 c, 102 dmay implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish awireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another embodiment, thebase station 114 b and the personal wireless devices 102 c, 102 d mayutilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A,etc.) to establish a picocell or femtocell. As shown in FIG. 2, the basestation 114 b may have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Thus,the base station 114 b may not be required to access the Internet 110via the core network 106.

The RAN 104 may be in communication with the core network 106, which maybe any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications,and/or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more ofthe personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d. For example,the core network 106 may provide call control, billing services, mobilelocation-based services, pre-paid calling, Internet connectivity, videodistribution, etc., and/or perform high-level security functions, suchas user authentication. Although not shown in FIG. 2, it will beappreciated that the RAN 104 and/or the core network 106 may be indirect or indirect communication with other RANs that employ the sameRAT as the RAN 104 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to beingconnected to the RAN 104, which may be utilizing an E-UTRA radiotechnology, the core network 106 may also be in communication withanother RAN (not shown) employing a GSM radio technology.

The core network 106 may also serve as a gateway for the personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d to access the PSTN 108, theInternet 110, and/or other networks 112. The PSTN 108 may includecircuit-switched telephone networks that provide plain old telephoneservice (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system ofinterconnected computer networks and devices that use commoncommunication protocols, such as the transmission control protocol(TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP) and the internet protocol (IP) inthe TCP/IP internet protocol suite. The networks 112 may include wiredor wireless communications networks owned and/or operated by otherservice providers. For example, the networks 112 may include anothercore network connected to one or more RANs, which may employ the sameRAT as the RAN 104 or a different RAT.

Some or all of the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 din the communications system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities,i.e., the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, 102 d mayinclude multiple transceivers for communicating with different wirelessnetworks over different wireless links. For example, the personalwireless device 102 c shown in FIG. 2 may be configured to communicatewith the base station 114 a, which may employ a cellular-based radiotechnology, and with the base station 114 b, which may employ an IEEE802 radio technology.

FIG. 3 shows a few components contained in an example personal wirelessdevice 102. As shown in FIG. 3, the personal wireless device 102 (whichrepresents any one of the devices numerically designated in otherfigures as 102 a, 102 b, 102 c etc) includes a processor 118, atransceiver 120, a signal transmit/receive element 122, aspeaker/microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display/touchpad 128,non-removable memory 106, removable memory 132, a power source 134, aglobal positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, measuring circuit 139 andother peripherals 138 that may be communicatively coupled to each otherthrough one or more busses. It will be appreciated that the personalwireless device 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoingelements while remaining consistent with an embodiment.

The processor 118 may be a general purpose processor, a special purposeprocessor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), aplurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in associationwith a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGAs)circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine,and the like. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, dataprocessing, power control, input/output processing, and/or any otherfunctionality that enables the personal wireless device 102 to operatein a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to thetransceiver 120, which may be coupled to the signal transmit/receiveelement 122. While FIG. 3 depicts the processor 118 and the transceiver120 as separate components, it will be appreciated that the processor118 and the transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronicpackage or chip.

The signal transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmitsignals to, or receive signals from, a base station (e.g., the basestation 114 a) over the wireless interface 116. For example, in oneembodiment, the signal transmit/receive element 122 may be an antennaconfigured to transmit and/or receive RF signals. In another embodiment,the signal transmit/receive element 122 may be an emitter/detectorconfigured to transmit and/or receive IR, UV, or visible light signals,for example. In yet another embodiment, the signal transmit/receiveelement 122 may be configured to transmit and receive both RF and lightsignals. It will be appreciated that the signal transmit/receive element122 may be configured to transmit and/or receive any combination ofwireless signals.

In addition, although the signal transmit/receive element 122 isdepicted in FIG. 3 as a single element, the personal wireless device 102may include any number of signal transmit/receive elements 122. Morespecifically, the personal wireless device 102 may employ MIMOtechnology. Thus, in one embodiment, the personal wireless device 102may include two or more transmit/receive elements 122 (e.g., multipleantennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over thewireless interface 116.

The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate the signals that areto be transmitted by the signal transmit/receive element 122 and todemodulate the signals that are received by the transmit/receive element122. As noted above, the personal wireless device 102 may havemulti-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multipletransceivers for enabling the personal wireless device 102 tocommunicate via multiple RATs, such as UTRA and IEEE 802.11, forexample.

The processor 118 of the personal wireless device 102 may be coupled to,and may receive user input data from, the speaker/microphone 124, thekeypad 126, and/or the display/touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) display unit or organic light-emitting diode (OLED)display unit). The processor 118 may also output user data to thespeaker/microphone 124, the keypad 126, and/or the display/touchpad 128.In addition, the processor 118 may access executable instructions thatare stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor 118 mayexecute these instructions in order to implement various functions ofthe personal wireless device 102. The computer-readable storage medium,which includes elements such as the non-removable memory 106 and/or theremovable memory 132, may be further used to store various types of dataand other digital information. The non-removable memory 106 may includerandom-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or anyother type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 mayinclude a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, asecure digital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, theprocessor 118 may access information from, and store data in, memorythat is not physically located on the personal wireless device 102, suchas on a server or a home computer (not shown).

The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134, and maybe configured to distribute and/or control the power to the othercomponents in the personal wireless device 102. The power source 134 maybe any suitable device for powering the personal wireless device 102.For example, the power source 134 may include one or more dry cellbatteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metalhydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion), etc.), solar cells, fuel cells,and the like.

The processor 118 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 136, which maybe configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude andlatitude) regarding the current location of the personal wireless device102. In addition to, or in lieu of, the information from the GPS chipset136, the personal wireless device 102 may receive location informationover the wireless interface 116 from a base station (e.g., base stations114 a, 114 b) and/or determine its location based on the timing of thesignals being received from two or more nearby base stations. It will beappreciated that the personal wireless device 102 may acquire locationinformation by way of any suitable location-determination method whileremaining consistent with an embodiment. Additional information in thiscontext, is provided below.

The processor 118 may also be coupled to other peripherals 138, whichmay include one or more software and/or hardware modules that provideadditional features, functionality and/or wired or wirelessconnectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include anaccelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera(for photographs or video), a universal serial bus (USB) port, avibration device, a television transceiver, a hands free headset, aBluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a digitalmusic player, a media player, a video game player module, an Internetbrowser, and the like.

The measuring circuit 139 may be a hardware circuit used for carryingout various measurements such as, for example, signal strength, signalinterference, noise level, and frequency parameters. As such, measuringcircuit 139 may incorporate various hardware components and circuitry.Measuring circuit 139 may further cooperatively operate in conjunctionwith other elements such as processor 118 and memory, in order toexecute various firmware and software programs.

The processor 118 may be configured to measure a network-performancerelated metric in response to a triggering event. In one embodiment, thetriggering event may be implemented in the form of a message receivedvia the wireless interface 116 and signal transmit/receive element 122,from an NE requesting measurement of the metric. In another embodiment,the triggering event may be a determination that the personal wirelessdevice 102 is in a location identified as a location in which ameasurement of one or more network-performance related metrics isdesired. The processor 118 may be configured to transmit the result ofthe measurement (alternatively referred to herein as an MDT results) tothe requesting NE, or a different NE, in accordance with one or morerules. For example, the one or more rules may identify which particularpublic land mobile network, or which particular NE, is to receive theresult of the measurement.

In one embodiment, the personal wireless device carries out themeasurement when the personal wireless device is in a Connected mode ofoperation so as to provide fast results. In this embodiment, one or moreNEs may request one or more personal wireless devices to performmeasurements, and the one or more personal wireless devices respond tothe request in a substantially immediate and/or substantiallysimultaneous manner.

In another embodiment, the personal wireless device conducts themeasurement as a logged-type measurement that is performed when thepersonal wireless device is in an Idle mode of operation. In this modeof measurement, the personal wireless device may receive configurationinformation pertaining to the requested operation when the personalwireless device is in a Connected mode of operation, so as to carry outthe measurement in a desired manner when the personal wireless device isin the Idle mode. A radio resource control layer (RRC) procedure may beused to configure the personal wireless device for the Idle modemeasurements. For example, an RRCConnectionRelease message and/or anRRCConnectionReconfiguration message may be used for this purpose. Theidle mode of operation generally refers to a condition where thepersonal wireless device is either not being used by a person for makinga telephone call or for non-telephone related personal activities suchas, for example, texting, emailing, accessing the web; and/or where thepersonal wireless device is not actively communicating with a NE in anon-MDT-related activity (for example, handshaking with a NE of a cell,transmitting/receiving Operations, Administration & Maintenance (OAM)signals etc.)

For the logged-type measurement, the personal wireless device may beconfigured in one cell when in the connected mode of operation, and themeasurement can then be carried out during one or more subsequent Idlemodes of operation. Multiple idle periods may be interrupted viaIDLE→CONN→IDLE state transitions. The results of the measurement may bereported either in the cell where the request was made, or it may bereported in another cell if the personal wireless device has moved fromone cell to the other.

The configuration information for performing the logged-type measurementmay include a geographical area scope parameter such as, for example,the identities of one or more cells, a local access area, a transportarea, and/or a default PLMN where the measurement is to be performed.The personal wireless device may report logged MDT results to cellsbelonging to the same PLMN where the MDT was initially configured or toother cells.

The configuration information for performing the logged-type measurementmay also specify activation/deactivation parameters indicating when tostart or stop the measurements and/or the logging of the measurements.The parameters may include triggering parameters to activate themeasurement such as positioning capabilities, access-classes and/ormeasurement probability factors. For example, one probability factor maybe used by the personal wireless device as an activation measuringprocess in which the personal wireless device selects a random number tocompare against a reference value and start the measurement based on theresult of the comparison. Configuration information may also includesignal thresholds, such as, for example, S-parameters. The threshold maybe used as a reference criterion for starting a measurement.Configuration information may further include public information carriedover broadcast signals. This information may be used to deactivatemeasurement operations over multiple personal wireless devices.

When the personal wireless device is in Idle mode, the loggedmeasurement data may be kept in the personal wireless device until thepersonal wireless device transitions to the Connected mode again (forexample, as a result of user activity such as engaging in an incoming oran outgoing call). In the RRC establishment, the personal wirelessdevice may mark an indication in the RRCConnectionSetupComplete messageto indicate to an evolved Node B (eNB) that the logged MDT data isavailable for reporting. The eNB may in general choose an appropriatetime to notify the personal wireless device that the logged MDT data maybe transmitted to the eNB. Upon receiving such permission, the personalwireless device may then transmit the MDT report(s) to the eNB.

Given that some nodes, such as legacy R8/R9 eNBs, may not support MDTreporting or usage, the personal wireless device may not always be ableto report the logged MDT. In this situation, the UE may transmit anindication that MDT results may be obtained by alternative means, suchas, for example, by accessing other system elements or by using certaindefault rules.

MDT measurements may address various network-performance related metricssuch as, for example, a downlink pilot measurement (RSRP, RSRQ), a testto verify if a serving cell signal has dropped below (or exceeded) athreshold, a test to verify if a transmit power headroom has fallenbelow a threshold (measured periodically, or changed more steeply thanthe dl-pathlossChange), random access failure, paging channel failure,broadcast channel failure, radio link failure report (report withlocation and speed, with a cause code failure, a RACH failure or an RLCfailure).

The eNB may select a specific personal wireless device to perform theMDT based on, for example, the currently connected personal wirelessdevices, personal wireless devices with a particular subscription SPID,IDs of personal wireless devices, current location of one or morepersonal wireless device, capability of a personal wireless device.

MDT specific control mechanisms, including MDT functionality, mayincorporate, for example, validation and acceptance of a logged MDTmeasurement configuration, validation and acceptance of logged MDTreports, details of MDT report interactions and procedures, networklocation aspects (for example, cell location, device location etc) whereone or more personal wireless device may report MDT logged data whilenot causing undesirable network traffic (for example,excessive/unnecessary network traffic), and the geographical locationdetection for the activation of the measurement with respect to theLogged-type MDT measurements in Idle mode.

In some portions of the following description the term “UE” has beenused in place of personal wireless device. This has been done forpurposes of convenience, as mentioned above, and encompasses varioustypes of devices including the personal wireless device referred to invarious parts of this application.

When MDT supporting UEs are in operation, un-scrutinized MDT commandsand configuration requests may result in UEs performing measurements inthe wrong place or on the wrong network. UEs may be able to store theMDT requests and configuration information based on options forsupporting the requests. UEs may be able to discard the MDT requests ifdeemed inappropriate. For example, rules and mechanisms governing whenand where UEs accept MDT requests and provide MDT reports may bespecified. Also, other aspects of the MDT configuration to supportspecial cases such as network sharing and emergency calls may bespecified as well.

MDT-enabled UEs may roam from network to network, moving throughmultiple PLMNs. An MDT-enabled UE may enter a PLMN where the UE is notauthorized to, or should not, perform MDT. The eNB to which this UE isconnected may not be aware if the UE is permitted to perform MDT.However, the eNB may still opt to request this UE to carry out an MDTbased on certain considerations.

A MDT-enabled UE may include a module (for example, an Operations,Administration & Maintenance (OAM) module, or by pre-programming in aSIM) that provides information as to, for example, authorized PLMNs,cells in which the UE is permitted to accept requests to perform MDTmeasurements, and PLMNs to which MDT measurement results may bereported).

A MDT-enabled UE may be able to honor MDT requests from more than onePLMN if the UE is explicitly or implicitly permitted to do so. Forexample, the UE may have a pre-programmed list of PLMNs or cells forwhich it is permitted to perform MDT measurements. If there is more thanone PLMN in the list, the UE may accept requests from a cell belongingto any of those PLMNs to perform MDT measurements. Although the UE mayaccept requests from multiple PLMNs, the MDT measurement functionalityof the UE may be defined to perform measurements for a specified PLMN orfor specified multiple PLMNs.

A MDT-enabled UE may demur MDT requests that cannot be supported by theUE. In one embodiment, the UE may explicitly reject the request, and/ormay provide a “not allowed” indication for example, or provide othersuch indication as a reason for the rejection. In another embodiment,the UE may opt to ignore the request to perform the requested MDTmeasurements. In yet another embodiment, the MDT-enabled UE may turn oneor more MDT-support-capability indication(s) off in its capabilitiesinformation when the MDT-enabled UEs roams into PLMNs or cells that itis not permitted to receive MDT configuration, or not permitted toperform MDT measurements. The personal wireless device may indicate itdoes not support the MDT requests when indicating its capabilities inthe areas or networks that it is not authorized to support MDT.

To explain this aspect in more detail, a UE may travel around the worldand may camp or connect to cells belonging to different mobile networks,for example, to various PLMNs. This UE may not always find, and/orregister with, a home PLMN (HPLMN). Given that the UE supporting MDT(such as LTE MDT) may be commissioned or authorized to perform the MDTmeasurement per one specific network operator and that the MDT and MDTconfigurations may be defined differently by other network operators, itcan be understood that it is desirable to configure the UE so as toenable the UE to reject MDT requests from unauthorized network nodes.

A UE that supports MDT may reject MDT requests/configurations (eitherone or both of the Immediate-type MDT in Connected and the Logged-typeMDT in Idle mode) when the MDT requests or configurations come fromunauthorized cells. Unauthorized cells may include, for example, a cellthat does not belong to the home PLMN (HPLMN) of the UE, a cell thatdoes not belong to the equivalent HPLMN (EHPLMN) of the UE, a cell thatbelongs to the UE's “forbidden PLMN” List, a cell on which the UE hascamped in “limited service” mode or has attached using the emergencyattach procedure, a cell that belongs to a PLMN that is not included ina predefined list of MDT authorized PLMNs (such as one stored in theUE's USIM or other higher layer memory) that are authorized to requestMDT, a cell that is not included in a predefined list of authorized MDTcells (such as one stored in the UE's USIM or other higher layer memory)that are authorized to request MDT, any cell designated in any manner asunauthorized for MDT, and/or the like.

When the MDT requestor is an unauthorized MDT requestor, a UE may havethe option to support the MDT commands/configurations provided by theMDT requestor, or may opt to refuse the request as described above.

A UE may opt to accept MDT requests (commands and configurations) fromone or more MDT requestors on the basis of a list of authorized MDTrequestors that may be stored for example, in a USIM of the UE or in ahigher layer storage. Conversely, the UE may also opt to accept a MDTrequest from a requestor who is not included in a list of unauthorizedMDT requestors.

A UE may opt to return a cause code such as “not commissioned,” or“unauthorized,” upon receiving a MDT request from an unauthorizedrequestor, indicating that the UE is not able to handle, or is notauthorized to handle, the measurement request.

In the case of network sharing (e.g. the eNB or the cell may be sharedby more than one PLMN and more than one PLMN ID may be included in theIE PLMN-IdentityList of the SystemInformationBlockType1), the UE NAS mayselect one particular PLMN and set this particular PLMN in the IEselectedPLMN-Identity of the RRCConnectionComplete message at thecompletion of the RRC connection. In this case, the UE may be deemed asbeing associated with this particular PLMN. As mentioned above, the UEmay opt to reject MDT requests from an unauthorized requestor amongstthe various PLMNs.

However, a UE may connect to a cell not belonging to its HPLMN or EHPLMNfor purposes of servicing an emergency call. If an MDT request isreceived from the temporarily registered PLMN during, or upontermination, of the emergency call, the UE may still refuse to servicethe request if the temporarily registered PLMN is an unauthorizedrequestor.

A UE having a logged-type MDT measurement results ready for transmissionmay be provided a “reporting place” list so that the UE provides MDTmeasurement results in suitable places, thereby minimizing unnecessarynetwork forwarding traffic and unnecessary UE/eNB interactions. Thereporting place list may include various items such as, for example, oneor more cell-identities, one or more LA/RA/TA area identities, or one ormore PLMN identities. The UE uses the list to verify cell ID/area/PLMNetc of the cell to which the UE is currently connected in order todetermine whether a report availability message or an indication may beissued to the connected network element.

A UE having a logged-type MDT measurement result may opt to place theresult on hold if the UE is currently connected to an unauthorized cellor a cell belonging to an unauthorized PLMN, and transmit the resultonce the UE connects to an authorized cell or PLMN. In one embodiment,the UE does not indicate to the unauthorized cell that the logged-typeMDT measurement result is available for transmission. This may beimplemented by precluding this information when providing a MDT reportindication.

An “authorized MDT Report Range List” may be created, for example, inthe form of a PLMN list and/or a cell list. One or more cells that areincluded in the list may be authorized to receive MDT results, where theresults may be provided in the form of a MDT report. For example, one ormore MDT supporting UE with logged-type MDT measurement result availableto report, may transmit the result to one of the authorized receivercells, as a result, for example, of being unable to transmit the resultto a first cell that had originated the MDT request.

A UE MDT measurement area list may be established in a higher layermemory associated with a UE, as a default list. The MDT measurement arealist may include PLMNs and/or cells where, in the absence of specificareas being designated for measurement in the MDT request configuration,the UE may perform the requested measurements when the UE is located inany one or more other areas defined in the list (assuming that the listis a populated list).

In another embodiment, the UE may perform the configured measurement ineither the cell where the UE has received the request or in one or morecells belonging to a registered PLMN. For example, in the absence ofother directives, such as, for example, pre-configured and/or pre-listeddirectives, the UE may perform the configured measurement in either thecell where the UE has received the request or in one or more other cellsbelonging to the registered PLMN.

A UE may be unable to support an Immediate MDT request and configurationif the UE is currently engaged in an emergency call, even if the MDTrequestor is an authorized requestor. In this case, the UE may return acause code such as “emergency”, indicating that the UE is unable tohandle the “Immediate MDT measurement Request.” In one embodiment, theUE may service the MDT request after completion of the emergency call.

A UE may delay responding to an Immediate MDT request and configurationwhen the UE has already has been assigned RRM measurements with certainmeasurement gaps, and/or is servicing telephone calls. The MDTconfiguration context may be saved until such time that the UE is ableto respond to the MDT request.

A UE may also assume a “best-effort” reporting where higher prioritymeasurements are being undertaken, and/or where the reporting is to beaccommodated within certain limited connected mode measurement timeframes. For example, if a UE is requested to carry out, for example, areference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or a reference signalreceived quality (RSRQ) measurement, and a set of neighbor cellmeasurements in intra-freq and inter-freq bands, but is not able tofully do so due to lack of resources to measure inter-freq, the UE mayreport measurement results pertaining to the server cell, but not reportneighbor cell related measurements.

Given the varying nature of a network and the geographical environment,certain MDT measurements may change at various locations of the network.Consequently, a previously configured MDT measurement may lose itssignificance and, therefore, execution of such an outdated measurementmay waste device power and network resources. In order to minimize suchobsolete or redundant MDT measurements and reporting, the MDTmeasurement for Idle mode configuration may specify ameasurement-validity-time, a report-validity-time, and/or the like.

The measurement-validity-time may be used to provide an indication tothe UE as to when making MDT measurements may no longer be necessary.For example, if the measurement-validity-time is over, the UE maysuspend measurements irrespective of having started on measurements ornot started. Similarly, if the report-validity-time is over, the UE maysuspend a report attempt and may delete the obsolete logged informationif such information existed. The UE may also remove and/or delete anoriginated measurement request.

In some implementations, a MDT configuration may be used to specify oneor more places where MDT results reporting can be carried out. This isdone in order to reduce unnecessary network traffic and conserve networkresources. For example, some logged MDT results can be reported in thecells belonging to the HPLMN or belonging to the EHPLMN. Some logged MDTreports may be reported in one or more specified tracking areas, or inone or more cells in a cell-list. In certain implementations, a MDTmeasurement may be reported in the cell or PLMN that configured themeasurements. A UE having logged data may trigger the reporting (e.g.,indicate that a report is available) when the UE connects to a cell inone of the specified reporting places. This “reporting place” can bespecified at cell ID level, TA/RA/LA/URA, or PLMN or selected PLMN rangelevel to ensure that the UE to the appropriate network for the MDTresults to be properly processed.

In a 3-step MDT logged measurement report scenario, the UE may indicatewith a marked MDT reporting indicator (for example, in anRRCConnectionSetupComplete message) as to what parameters will bereported. This indication may include various items such as, forexample, a MDT configuration order ID, an indication of the age of thelog (for example the timestamp of the last measurement), the area-scopefor the data obtained (such as an ID or other value that represents thearea-scope, or a list including IDs for the cells, PLMNs, TA/RA/LA/URAthat are part of the area-scope. Furthermore, if the area-scope is UEpositioning information, the data may include the format of thepositioning info, and a logged data category or categories, if suchcategories are provided as part of the MDT measurement request and/orconfiguration. The logged data category may indicate what type ofmeasurements are included in the log such as, for example, serving cellmeasurements, neighbor cell measurements, error conditions, etc.

A cell may reject the MDT UE marked MDT reporting indication (such as,for example, an indication in the RRCConnectionSetupComplete message).The MDT reporting indication may be rejected because the cell is not theright place (for example, measurements are of no interest to the cell orthe cell may have no transfer method to the network entity that istargeted to obtain the measurements) to receive this category ororder-ID of the logged MDT measurement data report and/or the reportthat was indicated by the UE is obsolete (for example due to the age ofthe log or the area-scope).

The rejection may be carried out in several ways. For example, the cellmay ignore the indication from the UE and not respond at all, or thecell may send a rejection indication to the UE. The rejection indicationmay or may not indicate a cause for the rejection. In this case, the UEmay opt to retain the measurement report until the UE enters the correctcell area.

A cell may send a rejection to the UE, with an indication that themeasurement data in an MDT report is obsolete or invalid. The cell mayalso send a log purge message or a termination and purge message. The UEmay delete the logged data intended for reporting, and/or the UE mayalso delete the existing MDT request associated with an Idle measurementconfiguration.

A cell may publish a MDT report reception parameters and/or anindication that the cell is a MDT cell. For example, the cell mayindicate this information in the form of a system information block, inmulticast messages to the UEs supporting MDT (through a MDT-RNTI and therelated method), and/or a dedicated message signal to one or more UEswith a MDT parameter ID. The information may include for example, a listof one or more categories that the cell is willing to receive in an MDTreport, what MDT configure order ID range the cell is willing toreceive, which one or more originating configuring cells (cells thatconfigured the MDT measurements) it is willing to recognize, a reportvalidity time. This approach may minimize wastage in time and/orresources in indication and response exchange communications.

UEs with logged MDT measurement data ready to report may learn from theMDT system information, from the multicast indication message(MDT-RNTI), and/or from the dedicated signaling MDT IE when the UE isconnecting with the cell whether the cell is an appropriate recipientfor receiving MDT measurement data, and whether the logged MDTmeasurement data can be reported in the cell area. If the systeminformation fails to indicate that the logged MDT report data issuitable to report in this cell, the UE may decide not to send thereport-indicator to the cell. For example, the UE device may determineto not set the report-indicator in its RRCConnectionComplete message.This process addresses certain issues that may arise when to or morecompeting carriers are providing service in the same cell area.

Report validity indicates to the UE the lifespan of the logged reportfrom the time the last measurement is taken to the time it is reportedto the network. A UE may discard the MDT report as no longer valid ifthe report validity time has elapsed.

A UE may include a mechanism to obtain location information. Thisinformation may be helpful, for example, when the UE is configured tocarry out logged-type measurements during Idle mode of operation. Thelocation information may be obtained in several different ways. In afirst implementation, the UE may be equipped with a built-in GPS. In asecond implementation, the UE may include a triggered position detectionsystem that may be used to inform the UE when the UE is located at alocation of interest. Triggers may include parameters such as, forexample, an error event (e.g. Out of Service), detection of a signalthreshold, or time-related events. In a third implementation, the UE mayinclude a position detection that may be queried intermittently orperiodically for location information. In an alternative embodiment, theUE may transmit a query to one or more network elements to obtainlocation information. The query may take on the form of a mobileoriginated location request (such as a MO-LR per 36.305, for example) tothe network to obtain its position.

If the MDT measurement activation is to be triggered by a geographicalarea of interest, a two-step process may be used. The UE may first use acoarse location method (for example read the cell identities or othergeographical identities such as the LA/RA/TA identities in order tominimize power consumption and network traffic) to obtain generallocation information to recognize if the UE is close to the geographicalarea of interest. The UE may then switch to a different locationidentification scheme to acquire more accurate position information,once the UE is in proximity to the geographic area of interest. Thetwo-step process may be useful when the UE is not equipped with a GPSdevice, or does not want to waste battery power on unnecessarypositioning activity such as measurements and signaling.

The original MDT requestor and/or an authorized MDT requestor describedabove may reconfigure a UE in order to modify an existing MDT request orto provide a new MDT request. An old MDT request and/or loggedmeasurements may be deleted. In some cases, this deletion may be carriedout regardless of the request being satisfied and/or the measurementsbeing provided. In some implementations, a UE may discard an old MDTconfiguration and replace the old MDT configuration with a new MDTconfiguration upon receiving a valid request from an authorized cell forcarrying out a logged-type MDT in Idle measurement. The UE may beginusing the new MDT configuration the next time the UE enters an idle modeof operation. In some cases, the new MDT configuration may be used ifthe PLMN of the requesting cell is not the same as a previous requestorwhose measurements are currently available in the log. The UE may purgethis existing log for example, if the requesting cell is not authorizedto receive the information from this log. In some other cases, the UEmay reject the new request with a cause of “log not empty.” If theprevious log of measurements is not empty and the PLMN of the requestingcell is the same as the one that asked for measurements currently in thelog (e.g., the cell did not ask for the report), the UE may purge thelog and begin using the new configuration once in idle mode. Here again,the UE may reject the new request from the same requesting cell, byresponding with a cause indicating “log not empty.” As an alternative,the UE may retain the existing log and start a new log.

In some implementations, a MDT measurement request may include anindication as to whether to purge an existing log if there is one, ornot. A UE may purge, or retain, the existing MDT measurement log on thebasis of this indication.

The original MDT requestor and, optionally, any authorized MDT requestorfor a given UE, may cancel a MDT request to the UE. If the UE has notyet begun measurements, the UE receiving the MDT-Cancel command mayremove the original request and/or may determine not to make therequested measurements even when activation conditions match. If therequest has been executed, the UE may discard the logged MDT report,discard the configuration, and not perform anymore MDT measurements.

Where the UE is able to hold more than one MDT request, the abovedescribed reconfiguration activity may be addressed with the originalMDT-Request-ID. Also, the requestor may be either the original requestoror one of the “authorized MDT request” described above.

In the case of network sharing (e.g. the eNB or the cell is shared bymore than one PLMN and more than one PLMN ID is included in the IEplmn-IdentityList of the SystemInformationBlockType1), the UE NAS mayselect one PLMN and set it to the IE selectedPLMN-Identity of theRRCConnectionComplete message at the completion of the RRC connection.In this case, the UE may be considered to be associated with the networkidentified by the selectedPLMN-Identity.

With regard to a UE configured for logged-type MDT where the PLMN thatoriginated the MDT request is PLMNx, if such a UE connects to a eNB orcell that is shared by more than one PLMN and one of the PLMNs in theplmn-IdentityList is PLMNx, the UE NAS may select PLMNx and set it tothe IE selectedPLMN-Identity of the RRCConnectionComplete message at thecompletion of the RRC connection. In this case, the UE connection may beconsidered to be registered with the network identified by theselectedPLMN-Identity, which is PLMNx (RPLMN) and/or the personalwireless device may accept MDT requests and generate MDT reports forPLMNx accordingly.

Contents such as, for example, list members, of the MDT-operationsrelated authorization lists described above may be pre-programmed fromservice agreement and they can also be re-assigned by network signaling.The NAS signaling, such as the “ATTACH ACCEPT,” the “Tracking AreaUpdate ACCEPT,” and/or the “Detach Accept” messages, for example, may beused. In an embodiment, the RRC messages such as the RRCConnectionSetup,the RRCConnectionReconfiguration, and/or theRRCConnectionReestablishment messages may be used for this purpose.

Authorized or unauthorized list members may be added or removed from anexisting MDT operating authorization list, initially from the USIM,according to the following time scope: being valid for the RRCConnection, being valid for the tracking area, and/or being valid forthe Attached network (e.g. from ATTACH ACCEPT to DETACH ACCEPT).

Attention is now drawn to FIG. 4, which shows a third system embodimentwherein various personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b and 102 c arecommunicatively coupled to a RAN 104, which in turn is communicativelycoupled to a core network 106 and other networks. The RAN 104 may employUTRAN radio technology to communicate with the personal wireless devices102 a, 102 b, 102 c over the wireless interface 116. The RAN 104 mayalso be in communication with the core network 106 through one or morecommunication links. As shown in FIG. 4, the RAN 104 may include Node-Bs140 a, 140 b, 140 c, which may each include one or more transceivers forcommunicating with the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 cover the wireless interface 116. The Node-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c mayeach be associated with a particular cell (as described above usingFIG. 1) within the RAN 104. The RAN 104 may also include radio networkcontrollers (RNCs) 142 a, 142 b. It will be appreciated that the RAN 104may include any number of Node-Bs and RNCs and is not limited to thenumbers shown in FIG. 4.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the Node-Bs 140 a and 140 b may be incommunication with the RNC 142 a, while the Node-B 140 c may be incommunication with the RNC 142 b. The Node-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c maycommunicate with the respective RNCs 142 a, 142 b via an Iub interface.The RNCs 142 a, 142 b may be in communication with one another via anIur interface. Each of the RNCs 142 a, 142 b may be configured tocontrol the respective Node-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c to which it isconnected. In addition, each of the RNCs 142 a, 142 b may be configuredto carry out, or support, other functionality, such as outer loop powercontrol, load control, admission control, packet scheduling, handovercontrol, macrodiversity, security functions, data encryption, and thelike.

The core network 106 shown in FIG. 4 may include a media gateway (MGW)144, a mobile switching center (MSC) 146, a serving GPRS support node(SGSN) 148, and/or a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) 150. While each ofthe foregoing elements are depicted as part of the core network 106, itwill be appreciated that any one of these elements may be owned and/oroperated by an entity other than the core network operator.

The RNC 142 a in the RAN 104 may be connected to the MSC 146 in the corenetwork 106 via an IuCS interface. The MSC 146 may be connected to theMGW 144. The MSC 146 and the MGW 144 may provide the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access to circuit-switched networks,such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and traditional land-linecommunications devices.

The RNC 142 a in the RAN 104 may also be connected to the SGSN 148 inthe core network 106 via an IuPS interface. The SGSN 148 may beconnected to the GGSN 150. The SGSN 148 and the GGSN 150 may provide thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access topacket-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitatecommunications between and the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b,102 c and IP-enabled devices.

As noted above, the core network 106 may also be connected to thenetworks 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks thatare owned and/or operated by other service providers.

FIG. 5 shows a fourth system embodiment wherein various personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b and 102 c are communicatively coupled to aRAN 104, which in turn is communicatively coupled to a core network 106and other networks. In this embodiment, the RAN 104 may employ an E-UTRAradio technology to communicate with the personal wireless devices 102a, 102 b, 102 c over the wireless interface 116. The RAN 104 may also bein communication with the core network 106 through one or morecommunication links.

The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c, though it will beappreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs and isnot limited to the numbers shown in FIG. 45. The eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b,140 c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating withthe personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c over the wirelessinterface 116. In one embodiment, the eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c mayimplement MIMO technology. Thus, the eNode-B 140 a, for example, may usemultiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and receive wirelesssignals from, the personal wireless device 102 a.

Each of the eNode-Bs 140 a, 140 b, 140 c may be associated with aparticular cell (as described above using FIG. 1) and may be configuredto handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions,scheduling of users in the uplink and/or downlink, and the like.

The core network 106 shown in FIG. 5 may include a mobility managementgateway (MME) 142, a serving gateway 144, and a packet data network(PDN) gateway 146. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted aspart of the core network 106, it will be appreciated that any one ofthese elements may be owned and/or operated by an entity other than thecore network operator.

The MME 142 may be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 142 a, 142 b, 142 cin the RAN 104 via an S1 interface and may serve as a control node. Forexample, the MME 142 may be responsible for authenticating users of thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, beareractivation/deactivation, selecting a particular serving gateway duringan initial attach of the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c,and the like. The MME 142 may also provide a control plane function forswitching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employother radio technologies, such as GSM or WCDMA.

The serving gateway 144 may be connected to each of the eNode Bs 140 a,140 b, 140 c in the RAN 104 via the S1 interface. The serving gateway144 may generally route and forward user data packets to/from thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c. The serving gateway 144may also perform other functions, such as anchoring user planes duringinter-eNode B handovers, triggering paging when downlink data isavailable for the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c,managing and storing contexts of the personal wireless devices 102 a,102 b, 102 c, and the like.

The serving gateway 144 may also be connected to the PDN gateway 146,which may provide the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c withaccess to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, tofacilitate communications between the personal wireless devices 102 a,102 b, 102 c and IP-enabled devices.

The core network 106 may facilitate communications with other networks.For example, the core network 106 may provide the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access to circuit-switched networks,such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and traditional land-linecommunications devices. For example, the core network 106 may include,or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem(IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the core network 106and the PSTN 108. In addition, the core network 106 may provide thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access to thenetworks 112, which may include other wired or wireless networks thatare owned and/or operated by other service providers.

FIG. 6 shows a fifth system embodiment wherein various personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, and 102 c are communicatively coupled to a RAN104, which in turn is communicatively coupled to a core network 106 andother networks. In this embodiment, RAN 104 may be an access servicenetwork (ASN) that employs IEEE 802.16 radio technology to communicatewith the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c over the wirelessinterface 116. As will be further discussed below, the communicationlinks between the different functional entities of the personal wirelessdevices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, the RAN 104, and the core network 106 maybe defined as reference points.

As shown in FIG. 6, the RAN 104 may include base stations 140 a, 140 b,140 c, and an ASN gateway 142, though it will be appreciated that theRAN 104 may include any number of base stations and ASN gateways. Thebase stations 140 a, 140 b, 140 c may each be associated with aparticular cell (not shown) in the RAN 104 and may each include one ormore transceivers for communicating with the personal wireless devices102 a, 102 b, 102 c over the wireless interface 116. In one embodiment,the base stations 140 a, 140 b, 140 c may implement MIMO technology.Thus, the base station 140 a, for example, may use multiple antennas totransmit wireless signals to, and receive wireless signals from, thepersonal wireless device 102 a. The base stations 140 a, 140 b, 140 cmay also provide mobility management functions, such as handofftriggering, tunnel establishment, radio resource management, trafficclassification, quality of service (QoS) policy enforcement, and thelike. The ASN gateway 142 may serve as a traffic aggregation point andmay be responsible for paging, caching of subscriber profiles, routingto the core network 106, and the like.

The wireless interface 116 between the personal wireless devices 102 a,102 b, 102 c and the RAN 104 may be defined as an R1 reference pointthat implements the IEEE 802.16 specification. In addition, each of thepersonal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c may establish a logicalinterface (not shown) with the core network 106. The logical interfacebetween the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and the corenetwork 106 may be defined as an R2 reference point, which may be usedfor authentication, authorization, IP host configuration management,and/or mobility management.

The communication link between each of the base stations 140 a, 140 b,140 c may be defined as an R8 reference point that includes protocolsfor facilitating handovers and the transfer of data between basestations. The communication link between the base stations 140 a, 140 b,140 c and the ASN gateway 215 may be defined as an R6 reference point.The R6 reference point may include protocols for facilitating mobilitymanagement based on mobility events associated with each of the personalwireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 100 c.

As shown in FIG. 6, RAN 104 may be connected to the core network 106.The communication link between the RAN 104 and the core network 106 maydefined as an R3 reference point that includes protocols forfacilitating data transfer and mobility management capabilities, forexample. The core network 106 may include a mobile IP home agent(MIP-HA) 144, an authentication, authorization, accounting (AAA) server146, and a gateway 148. While each of the foregoing elements aredepicted as part of the core network 106, it will be appreciated thatany one of these elements may be owned and/or operated by an entityother than the core network operator.

The MIP-HA may be responsible for IP address management, and may enablethe personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c to roam betweendifferent ASNs and/or different core networks. The MIP-HA 144 mayprovide the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c with access topacket-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitatecommunications between the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 cand IP-enabled devices. The AAA server 146 may be responsible for userauthentication and for supporting user services. The gateway 148 mayfacilitate interworking with other networks. For example, the gateway148 may provide the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 c withaccess to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitatecommunications between the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102 cand traditional land-line communications devices. In addition, thegateway 148 may provide the personal wireless devices 102 a, 102 b, 102c with access to the networks 112, which may include other wired orwireless networks that are owned and/or operated by other serviceproviders.

Although not shown in FIG. 6, it will be appreciated that the RAN 104may be connected to other ASNs and the core network 106 may be connectedto other core networks. The communication link between the RAN 104 theother ASNs may be defined as an R4 reference point, which may includeprotocols for coordinating the mobility of the personal wireless devices102 a, 102 b, 102 c between the RAN 104 and the other ASNs. Thecommunication link between the core network 106 and the other corenetworks may be defined as an R5 reference, which may include protocolsfor facilitating interworking between home core networks and visitedcore networks.

Although features and elements are described above in particularcombinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that eachfeature or element can be used alone or in any combination with theother features and elements. In addition, the methods described hereinmay be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmwareincorporated in a computer-readable medium for execution by a computeror processor. Examples of computer-readable media include electronicsignals (transmitted over wired or wireless connections) andcomputer-readable storage media. Examples of computer-readable storagemedia include, but are not limited to, a read only memory (ROM), arandom access memory (RAM), a register, cache memory, semiconductormemory devices, magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removabledisks, magneto-optical media, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks,and digital versatile disks (DVDs).

What is claimed:
 1. A device configured to: receive configurationinformation for carrying out a measurement, carry out the measurement ofa network-performance related metric consistent with the configurationinformation when the device is connected to a cell or a public landmobile network (PLMN) authorized for the measurement to be performed,and transmit an indication of an availability of the measurement to anetwork element when the device is connected to a cell or PLMN includedin a list comprising at least one reporting place authorized forreporting the measurement.
 2. The device according to claim 1, whereinthe device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digitalassistant device, or an internet-enabled wireless device.
 3. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the measurement is a logged-typemeasurement carried out when the device is in an idle mode of operation.4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the configurationinformation comprises at least one of a measurement validity time or areport validity time.
 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein thedevice is further configured to stop carrying out the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric when the measurement validity time isover.
 6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the device is furtherconfigured to store the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric during the report validity time.
 7. The device according to claim6, wherein the device is further configured to delete the measurement ofthe network-performance related metric when the report validity time isover.
 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is furtherconfigured to receive new configuration information for carrying out themeasurement; and, upon receipt of the new configuration information,replace the configuration information previously received with the newconfiguration information and clear the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 9. The device accordingto claim 1, wherein the indication is transmitted to the network elementin an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 10. A method comprising:receiving configuration information for carrying out a measurement,carrying out the measurement of a network-performance related metricconsistent with the configuration information when the device isconnected to a cell or a public land mobile network (PLMN) authorizedfor the measurement to be performed, and transmitting an indication ofan availability of the measurement to a network element when the deviceis connected to a cell or PLMN included in a list comprising at leastone reporting place authorized for reporting the measurement.
 11. Themethod according to claim 10, wherein the measurement is a logged-typemeasurement carried out in an idle mode of operation.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 10, wherein the configuration information comprisesat least one of a measurement validity time or a report validity time.13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric is stopped being carried out when themeasurement validity time is over.
 14. The method according to claim 12,further comprising storing the measurement of the network-performancerelated metric during the report validity time.
 15. The method accordingto claim 14, further comprising deleting the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric when the report validity time isover.
 16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:receiving new configuration information for carrying out themeasurement; and upon receipt of the new configuration information,replacing the configuration information previously received with the newconfiguration information and clearing the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 17. The method accordingto claim 10, wherein the indication is transmitted to the networkelement in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 18. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructionscomprising instructions for performing the following: accessingconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, carrying outthe measurement of a network-performance related metric consistent withthe configuration information when the device is connected to a cell ora public land mobile network (PLMN) authorized for the measurement to beperformed, and transmitting an indication of an availability of themeasurement to a network element when the device is connected to a cellor PLMN included in a list comprising at least one reporting placeauthorized for reporting the measurement.
 19. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein themeasurement is a logged-type measurement carried out in an idle mode ofoperation.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumaccording to claim 18, wherein the configuration information comprisesat least one of a measurement validity time or a report validity time.21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according toclaim 20, wherein the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric is stopped being carried out when the measurement validity timeis over.
 22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumaccording to claim 20, wherein the computer-executable instructionsfurther comprise instructions for storing the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric during the report validity time. 23.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim22, wherein the computer-executable instructions further compriseinstructions for deleting the measurement of the network-performancerelated metric when the report validity time is over.
 24. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18,wherein the computer-executable instructions further compriseinstructions for: receiving new configuration information for carryingout the measurement; and upon receipt of the new configurationinformation, replacing the configuration information previously receivedwith the new configuration information and clearing the measurement ofthe network-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 25. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein theindication is transmitted to the network element in anRRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 26. A device configured to: receiveconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein theconfiguration information comprises a measurement validity time; carryout the measurement of a network-performance related metric consistentwith the configuration information, wherein the measurement is carriedout when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) the device isconnected to or located in is a cell or PLMN authorized for themeasurement to be performed, and wherein the measurement is carried outuntil the measurement validity time is over; and transmit an indicationof an availability of the measurement to a network element, wherein theindication is transmitted when the cell or PLMN the device is connectedto is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least onereporting place authorized for reporting the measurement.
 27. The deviceaccording to claim 26, wherein the device is at least one of a cellulartelephone, a personal digital assistant device, or an internet-enabledwireless device.
 28. The device according to claim 26, wherein themeasurement is a logged-type measurement further carried out when thedevice is in an idle mode of operation.
 29. The device according toclaim 26, wherein the configuration information further comprises areport validity time.
 30. The device according to claim 29, wherein thedevice is further configured to store the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric during the report validity time. 31.The device according to claim 30, wherein the device is furtherconfigured to delete the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric when the report validity time is over.
 32. The device accordingto claim 26, wherein the device is further configured to receive newconfiguration information for carrying out the measurement; and, uponreceipt of the new configuration information, replace the configurationinformation previously received with the new configuration informationand clear the measurement of the network-performance related metriccarried out consistent with the configuration information previouslyreceived.
 33. The device according to claim 26, wherein the indicationis transmitted to the network element in an RRCConnectionSetupCompletemessage.
 34. A method comprising: receiving configuration informationfor carrying out a measurement, wherein the configuration informationcomprises a measurement validity time; carrying out the measurement of anetwork-performance related metric consistent with the configurationinformation, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell orpublic land mobile network (PLMN) the device is connected to or locatedin is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed, andwherein the measurement is carried out until the measurement validitytime is over; and transmitting an indication of an availability of themeasurement to a network element, wherein the indication is transmittedwhen the cell or PLMN the device is connected to is a cell or PLMNincluded in a list that includes at least one reporting place authorizedfor reporting the measurement.
 35. The method according to claim 34,wherein the measurement is a logged-type measurement carried out in anidle mode of operation.
 36. The method according to claim 34, whereinthe configuration information further comprises a report validity time.37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising storing themeasurement of the network-performance related metric during the reportvalidity time.
 38. The method according to claim 37, further comprisingdeleting the measurement of the network-performance related metric whenthe report validity time is over.
 39. The method according to claim 34,further comprising: receiving new configuration information for carryingout the measurement; and upon receipt of the new configurationinformation, replacing the configuration information previously receivedwith the new configuration information and clearing the measurement ofthe network-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 40. The method accordingto claim 34, wherein the indication is transmitted to the networkelement in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 41. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructionscomprising instructions for performing the following: accessingconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein theconfiguration information comprises a measurement validity time;carrying out the measurement of a network-performance related metricconsistent with the configuration information, wherein the measurementis carried out when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) thedevice is connected to or located in is a cell or PLMN authorized forthe measurement to be performed, and wherein the measurement is carriedout until the measurement validity time is over; and transmitting anindication of an availability of the measurement to a network element,wherein the indication is transmitted when the cell or PLMN the deviceis connected to is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes atleast one reporting place authorized for reporting the measurement. 42.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim41, wherein the measurement is a logged-type measurement carried out inan idle mode of operation.
 43. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium according to claim 41, wherein the configurationinformation further comprises a report validity time.
 44. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 43,further comprising storing the measurement of the network-performancerelated metric during the report validity time.
 45. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 44, wherein thecomputer-executable instructions further comprise instructions fordeleting the measurement of the network-performance related metric whenthe report validity time is over.
 46. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 41, wherein thecomputer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:receiving new configuration information for carrying out themeasurement; and upon receipt of the new configuration information,replacing the configuration information previously received with the newconfiguration information and clearing the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 47. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 41, wherein theindication is transmitted to the network element in anRRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 48. A device configured to: receiveconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein theconfiguration information comprises a measurement validity time and areport validity time; carry out the measurement of a network-performancerelated metric consistent with the configuration information, whereinthe measurement is carried out when a cell or public land mobile network(PLMN) the device is connected to or located in is a cell or PLMNauthorized for the measurement to be performed, and wherein themeasurement is carried out until the measurement validity time is over;store the measurement of the network-performance related metric duringthe report validity time; transmit an indication of an availability ofthe measurement to a network element, wherein the indication istransmitted when the cell or PLMN the device is connected to is a cellor PLMN included in a list that includes at least one reporting placeauthorized for reporting the measurement; and delete the measurement ofthe network-performance related metric when the report validity time isover.
 49. The device according to claim 48, wherein the device is atleast one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant device,or an internet-enabled wireless device.
 50. The device according toclaim 48, wherein the measurement is a logged-type measurement carriedout when the device is in an idle mode of operation.
 51. The deviceaccording to claim 48, wherein the device is further configured toreceive new configuration information for carrying out the measurement;and, upon receipt of the new configuration information, replace theconfiguration information previously received with the new configurationinformation and clear the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric carried out consistent with the configuration informationpreviously received.
 52. The device according to claim 48, wherein theindication is transmitted to the network element in anRRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 53. A method comprising: receivingconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein theconfiguration information comprises a measurement validity time and areport validity time; carrying out the measurement of anetwork-performance related metric consistent with the configurationinformation, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell orpublic land mobile network (PLMN) the device is connected to or locatedin is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed, andwherein the measurement is carried out until the measurement validitytime is over; storing the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric during the report validity time; transmitting an indication of anavailability of the measurement to a network element, wherein theindication is transmitted when the cell or PLMN the device is connectedto is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least onereporting place authorized for reporting the measurement; and deletingthe measurement of the network-performance related metric when thereport validity time is over.
 54. The method according to claim 53,wherein the measurement is a logged-type measurement carried out in anidle mode of operation.
 55. The method according to claim 53, furthercomprising: receiving new configuration information for carrying out themeasurement; and upon receipt of the new configuration information,replacing the configuration information previously received with the newconfiguration information and clear the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 56. The method accordingto claim 53, wherein the indication is transmitted to the networkelement in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.
 57. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructionscomprising instructions for performing the following: receivingconfiguration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein theconfiguration information comprises a measurement validity time and areport validity time; carrying out the measurement of anetwork-performance related metric consistent with the configurationinformation, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell orpublic land mobile network (PLMN) the device is connected to or locatedin is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed, andwherein the measurement is carried out until the measurement validitytime is over; storing the measurement of the network-performance relatedmetric during the report validity time; transmitting an indication of anavailability of the measurement to a network element, wherein theindication is transmitted when the cell or PLMN the device is connectedto is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least onereporting place authorized for reporting the measurement; and deletingthe measurement of the network-performance related metric when thereport validity time is over.
 58. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium according to claim 57, wherein the measurement is alogged-type measurement carried out in an idle mode of operation. 59.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim57, wherein the computer-executable instructions further compriseinstructions for: receiving new configuration information for carryingout the measurement; and upon receipt of the new configurationinformation, replacing the configuration information previously receivedwith the new configuration information and clear the measurement of thenetwork-performance related metric carried out consistent with theconfiguration information previously received.
 60. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium according to claim 57, wherein theindication is transmitted to the network element in anRRCConnectionSetupComplete message.